Manmohan’s offer has no meaning: Sushma

Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s offer to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has “no meaning” though PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi has made it clear that his panel was independent to go into the 2G spectrum issue.

“Under the Lok Sabha Rules, PAC cannot call a Minister, much less the Prime Minister. (The) Prime Minister’s offer therefore, has no meaning,” she tweeted.

Her comments come a day after Dr. Singh wrote to Mr. Joshi expressing his readiness to appear before the panel, which is probing the 2G Spectrum scam.

Ms. Swaraj said the “scope of PAC is totally different from that of JPC. While PAC deals with accounts, JPC deals with accountability and governance.”

The 22—member PAC cannot call a minister to give evidence or for consultations in connection with the examination of accounts by it.

The chairman of the committee, however, may have an informal talk with a minister on the subject under consideration by the committee.

Since the Prime Minister’s offer is unprecedented in its nature, the Speaker may have to devise a procedure on how the committee could accept it.